Prevalence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in a Tertiary Hospital in Casablanca, Morocco, 2021.

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals experienced an increased workload, which may have affected infection prevention and control (IPC) programs and consequently healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HAI in Ibn Rochd University Hospital Center (IRUHC) and identify associated factors.

METHODS

A survey was conducted on November 30, 2021 at IRUHC, including all patients hospitalized for at least 48 hours. Data was collected using a questionnaire, and analyzed using SPSS IBM software version 16. The significance level was set at 0.05.

RESULTS

Among 887 patients, the prevalence of HAI was 9.7% (7.7%; 11.6%). The highest prevalence was observed in intensive care units (ICUs) (44.2%). Nosocomial pneumonia was the most common site (26.8%). The main isolated microorganisms were (18.0%) and (16.0%). All isolated strains were imipenem-resistant. The presence of HAI was significantly associated with the presence of an invasive medical device (p<0.001), a higher physical status score of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) (p<0.001), and a longer hospital stay (p<0.001). Conclusion : The emergence of imipenem-resistant  (IRAB) represents a serious therapeutic and epidemiological problem requiring the establishment of a system for monitoring the microbial environment and the application of strict hygiene measures.